Rachel Credidio, group people and transformation director responds to the Skills for Jobs White Paper

“The imbalance between university education and vocational training in the UK is huge and a move by the government to address that should be welcomed. There are skills gaps across a range of vital sectors that need to be filled and it’s time the mindset around ‘on-the-job’ training shifted for good.

“The ‘Skills for Jobs’ whitepaper is an opportunity to create a more level playing field when it comes to skills development. A closer partnership between business and education will help to equip young people with the skills the UK needs, while offering a wider range of inspiring options for those young people who have faced significant disruption to their education as a result of the pandemic.This in turn will bolster the pipeline of talent in industries like construction and engineering where a lack of skills threatens those sectors’ viability.

“It’s up to businesses now to take this opportunity to be more proactive in their approach to attracting and developing talent.  COVID-19 has meant people are looking for new opportunities and it’s on companies to give them this step up, while ensuring businesses have the skills sets they need to thrive.”